Brad Pitt in three wild new 'Inglourious Basterds' clips

The more time I've spent chewing on this film, the more I love it. I'm weary of hearing from so-called "fans" of Tarantino who basically just want him to remake "Pulp Fiction" over and over, crime movies filled with people talking about pop culture. I saw some comment earlier today on YouTube about the trailer for the new Thomas Pynchon book, where someone said, "Oh, man, this looks like the film that Tarantino should have made after 'Pulp Fiction'!"

God, how depressing. You know what he made after "Pulp Fiction"? "Jackie Brown." And "Jackie Brown" sort of totally rocks.

I really don't understand why fandom wants filmmakers to get stuck in these professional stutters. To me, what makes a filmmaker worthwhile isn't just the subject matter he deals with, but the voice with which he tells his story. And in Tarantino's case, I'd say that voice is just as crystal-clear and well-defined today as it's ever been. He loves to let his characters talk, aaaaaaand talk and talk and talk and talk, and in talking, they reveal themselves. It's one of his signatures, and I'd argue a real gift when he's firing on all cylinders, and I find that more often than not, I am rewarded for the time I spend with these people as they talk.

In this first clip, Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) has an entirely reasonable conversation with a Nazi prisoner:

The second clip comes late in the film, after some plans have gone disastrously wrong. Aldo is trying to figure out if they can still move forward, and Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) lays some serious news on him. If you're afraid of spoilers, this is the clip to skip, because it's a pretty big moment. But this also gives you a great sense of the style of the film, so if you're curious...

And then there's this final clip, which is more of a tease of a clip, an introduction to a character. The character, some might say. Hans Landa, the Jew Hunter. A perfect portrait of grinning insinuating evil and rot. It's a fantastic performance by Christoph Waltz. There's a reason he was rewarded at Cannes this year. Even if this film wasn't quite in fighting shape yet, I'm sure his work shone through. He's amazing. And the opening sequence of the movie, which is a showcase for Waltz, is one of the finest moments of Tarantino's career so far. The exact right way to set up the images that close the film. The set-up to the oh-so-beautiful payoff.

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I agree with Drew, I don't know why fans don't want to see the people they like grow and evolve artistically. As a fan I want to see my favorite filmmakers and actors stretch themselves. It's called range. Perhaps the fans themselves don't want to grow or evolve.

For the average American Jew, the Holocaust is the only "sacred ground" they're educated about in Hebrew school. A filmmaker doing anything that let alone mentions the word "Holocaust" is opening a potential can of worms. As curious as I am to see this film (VERY!), I'm even more curious to hear Quentin Tarantino talk about it. I'm hoping it's a graphic novel, and not just a comic book. Clips look promising, though. And to paraphrase Eli Rothman, Jews killing Nazis is "Kosher Porn." I have to admit the satisfaction . . .

Drew - I see where you're coming from and I agree, there are a lot of Tarantino "fans" who have been begging for what would essentially be Pulp Fiction Part 2 for the last 15 years.

But as someone who is occasionally on the fence over QT (like you, Jackie Brown is my personal fav), I just sometimes worry if he's losing his punch. I enjoyed both Kill Bills, but c'mon - there's nothing in there that has the immediacy of his first three directorial efforts.

And Death Proof - it's a step down. Not a bad flick at all, and I think there's some great material in there, but I don't think it's the "evolution" of the filmmaker who kicked off so strong with his first three films.

I'm catching a screening of Inglorious Basterds next week, so I'll withhold my judgment before making the sort of ridiculous statements people have made on the so-called downfall of Tarantino - I'd say it's way too early for that kind of talk. The guy is incredibly talented.

But I sometimes wonder if he needs a little control ceded away from him. Just a bit. He's talked about how Jackie Brown was the one he had his heart the least in, because it wasn't his original story.

I think that your above statement isn't quite fair, Drew. I am a huge QT fan and I thoroughly disliked Inglourius Basterds. I have absolutely no desire to see Pulp Fiction 2 or any such spin-off... I think it would be depressing if he went to that well again. I'm one of the few who prefers Death Proof to Planet Terror b/c of the unbelievable dialogue. I read the script for Death Proof and was disappointed when huge chunks of the dialogue were removed in the finished product. So why can't I feel that Inglourious Basterds was a meandering, tension-less mess? It's not because it wasn't a crime film I didn't enjoy it, it's because I didn't feel drawn in by any of the characters (except Shoshana)or situations. The acting was uniformly superb and there were moments of brilliance but, in the end, I didn't care if anyone succeeded in their respective goals. Is that my fault?